Given
by WriterRen
Summary: "Korra clung to him and clung to his promise. She needed hope that somehow her bending could be restored, that things would finally be alright, that maybe Mako's care and concern went beyond feelings of friendship. They had to believe something would be given where so much had been taken." Centers mostly around ep 12. What transpired between Mako and Korra between scenes? Makorra
1. Taken

**A/N So this is my first time attempting an LoK fic. After suffering many weeks from Korra-withdrawal (though I am even more pumped for season 2 after the previews from Comic Con came out), I turned to writing to fill the void. This is the result. This will be a multi-chapter story (5 chapters in total, 2 of which are already written and I'm working on the other 3). This first chapter contains portions of episodes 8, 9, and 10, but is largely based on episode 12. The subsequent chapters occur during episode 12 as well. Be warned, this first chapter is pretty lengthy, but there are breaks between scenes. Future chapters won't likely run this long. Reviews are more than welcome, including constructive criticism.**

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Chapter One: Taken_  
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_Too much was taken too soon._

It was too soon for Mako's world to fall apart. He was too young to bear the burdens of protecting and providing for both himself and his brother. When his parents died, his childhood died with them: his safety, security, and everything he'd even known, lost in a single night.

Years of using the pavement as a pillow and of never knowing when or where the next meal would come from molded Mako into a serious, calculating young adult. Necessity brought out his quick-wit, his strength, and enforced his resolve to think with his head and not his heart.

Mako worked odd jobs wherever he could, scoured for food, and did everything in his power to shield his brother from the cruelties of the world. For nine years that was all he could do, until the day Toza, the head of the Pro-bending gym, saw the boys fighting some thugs in the street. Recognizing their bending talents, the old man took the teenagers in, and after a year of training, the Fire Ferrets were ready to compete in the Pro-bending League.

Mako and Bolin had a roof over their heads, beds to sleep in, and though money was often short due to the trumped-up fees and expenses of the pro-bending business, they were always able to put food on the table. They finally had a shot at a better life.

Mako slowly pieced his shattered world together again.

And then the Avatar came crashing into his life, disassembling the firebender's fragile establishments with her openness and recklessness, her stubborn strength and passion for life.

At first she infuriated him and he infuriated her. They were opposites in so many ways, yet more alike than either cared to admit. Where Mako approached with caution, Korra acted rashly. Where she spoke honestly, he hid his emotions. And even though she sometimes annoyed him, he admired her. He learned from her and she learned from him, little by little breaking down his barriers and becoming an irreplaceable part of his life. She took the broken existence he knew and reassembled it, proving to him that trust and hope and happiness could exist in his life. She freely offered her friendship, and with it her loyalty and love.

Mako still berated himself for taking such a gift for granted and threatening to cut his ties to Korra over her suspicion of Hiroshi Sato. Korra stood by him through thick and thin, and he repaid her with ingratitude and a preference for another girl. He didn't deserve her forgiveness, but she gave him that unconditionally, too.

Her generosity baffled him. Mako had never known anything to come without a price, and though Korra asked nothing in return, instead attempting to bear her burdens, and those of the entire world, on her own, his attachment to the Avatar ultimately cost him. And the deeper he fell for her, the heftier a sum he paid.

He could handle fighting chi-blockers and corrupt politicians and spending the night in jail. He'd had his share of scrapes and scuffles growing up on the streets. But he never planned to invest so heavily in a girl of seventeen who battled danger on a daily basis and housed the most incredible power on the planet and loved pro-bending and fighting and had turned his life upside-down.

She'd worked her way into his heart and made him vulnerable, and then all it took was a handful of words to destroy Mako's carefully-constructed world.

"Korra's in trouble. Amon captured her."

His blood ran cold at Lin Beifong's statement. His mind rebelled against the information.

"No. No, she _can't _be gone."

Not Korra. Not his fearless, brave, headstrong teammate, his first and closest real friend in the world. She couldn't be _gone._

He realized then that Korra wasn't just a part of his life, she was the center of it. She was a piece of the puzzle Mako never knew he'd been missing and the picture could never be complete without her.

_Never seeing Korra's smile again, never hearing her laugh, never feeling the warmth her presence brought to everything- _

Mako shook his head, forcing the dark thoughts away. He had to stay calm, though everything in him screamed in panic. Finding Korra was all that mattered in those moments. Finding her, bringing her back safe and sound- he had to focus on that. If he let his thoughts wander, he'd go crazy.

She'd been taken, so he'd find her.

* * *

Mako'd always felt that his tough-as-nails friend was somehow invincible, untouchable, but the scratches that zigzagged along Korra's arms and face proved how very wrong he'd been.

And he vowed, as he held her hand in his, that he would stay by her side no matter what lie ahead for them. He could no longer fathom his life without the young Avatar in it.

Too much had been taken from Mako in his life, but Korra helped him find hope and happiness again. He'd be damned if he let someone take her from him, too.

* * *

It felt like the weight of the earth pressed against his body. Every voluntary twitch of a muscle took all the strength Mako had as Amon's bloodbending held him to the ground.

Mako thought the hours Tarrlok held Korra captive were the most frightening of his life. But this, _this _was worse. Where before the extent of Korra's pain and suffering had been left to his imagination, where he could, with much force, push the worst fears aside, here he could not deny what he saw.

He had to watch, helpless, as Korra writhed in pain, the source of her struggle just a few feet away and him unable to do anything to stop the fiend.

Mako willed himself to move, willed himself with all the power he possessed, fueled by immeasurable hate for the masked man as he forced the Avatar's head back and touched her neck and forehead. Mako wanted to snap those filthy fingers off.

"Korra!" he called, trying and failing to reach for her.

She yelled, powerless to stop her enemy, then trembled violently and crumpled to the ground.

"I told you that I would destroy you," Amon said triumphantly. "Finally, you are powerless."

Korra rose to her knees and instinctively punched forward, but no element followed her movement, and she collapsed again.

The arrival of the Lieutenant averted Amon's attention, affording the firebender a brief moment of heightened control. He tried in vain to crawl towards Korra, but even with his focus elsewhere, Noatak's power kept both teenagers down. Mako's eyes widened in horror as the Equalist leader snapped the neck of his own right-hand man, terror like the firebender had never known making his blood run cold. _We have to get out of here. _

Amon's cruel eyes turned again to the young man. Mako used his full concentration, every bit of self-control he could exert, to fight against sheer terror and search inside himself to direct the energy within. And when Amon came just close enough, he struck.

The bloodbender screamed in pain as lightening coursed through his body, flinging him back against a wall. Free of Amon's grip, Mako shot two blasts of fire, trapping the enemy beneath a pile of wood. He wasted no time in scooping Korra into his arms and breaking for the exit. Every moment mattered. If Amon would kill his most loyal follower, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them, too. He had to get her out. He had to get them somewhere safe.

"Mako, my bending," Korra said quietly.

"Everything'll be alright!" he assured, sprinting down the hall. "We just have to get out of here!"

An invisible force tugged Mako back, throwing Korra forward. Pain shot through his back, his stomach, his sides, and his head as he collided with the walls, the ceiling, and crumpled on the floor.

"I'm impressed," Amon said, forcing the firebender's body to contort unnaturally. "No one has ever gotten the better of me like that. It is almost a shame to take the bending of someone so talented. Almost."

Mako braced himself for the loss of his bending, hoping Korra could at least use the chance to get away. He should have known better. Korra would never leave him.

A sudden gust of wind blew both Mako and Amon down the hall.

"No, that's impossible!" Amon shouted, disbelieving.

"I can airbend?" Korra asked aloud, just as taken aback by her powers. "I can airbend!"

A surge of hope and pride filled Mako as he watched the newly discovered airbender blast Amon back, yet again astounded by this beautiful, strong, amazing woman. He grit his teeth in anger and went to aim a fireblast at the monster when Korra's body again contorted under the bloodbender's control.

Amon was strong, but Korra was stronger.

"No. You. Don't!" Forcing a last surge of energy, the Avatar kicked towards the enemy and the air followed her motion.

Glass flew around them as the masked man crashed through the window and fell towards the bay, but that only held Mako's attention for a moment as Korra leaned against the wall, hissing in pain.

"Korra." He ran towards her, catching her before she hit the floor. He held her firmly as they made their way to the window to see what had become of Noatak.

Angry shouts filled the street below, first directed at the Avatar, then at the deceptive leader of the Equalists as he revealed his bending abilities. Blue eyes met blue, and they knew this marked the end. Mako fired at the coward as he fled, but not fast enough. Amon got away.

Korra sighed, falling into her companion's arms in pure exhaustion. Mako held her close and glared at the water, full of resentment for the man that had nearly taken her from his life.

_I love you, _he thought, pressing his nose into her hair and kissing the top of her head. _No one's taking you from me._

* * *

While Amon's mask floated in Yue Bay, Korra assumed a mask of her own. She managed to hide her brokenness the rest of day by wearing a tired, numb expression as she explained what had happened to the others (her friends, General Iroh, the police) again and again mechanically.

She went to bed early, which no one questioned. Her battle and the subsequent healing sessions (which she could no longer perform herself) had left her physically exhausted. No one commented on the emotional toll of the day. The others thought it best to give her space, to let her rest and sort the problem of her bending out another day.

Mako watched her go, gold eyes fixed on her retreating form as a battle of indecision raged in his mind. Should he believe her words and let her rest? No. He knew Korra put up a front to hide her hurt. But what could he say, what could he do that would make her feel better? How could he comfort her when it was he who'd failed to protect her from this pain?

A delicate hand landed on his shoulder, redirecting his gaze to the green eyes of Asami.

"You should go to her." She spoke softly, but without hesitance.

"Asami-"

"It's okay. Really." And she meant it. A look of sadness still lingered in her gaze, but understanding and acceptance replaced the heiress' earlier hurt. They understood that their parting before the battle marked the end of their relationship. "We're still friends," Asami stated, answering his unspoken question. "And as your friend and Korra's, I'm telling you to go. She doesn't need to be alone, no matter what she says. She needs you."

"Thank you," Mako said sincerely. She nodded and with a small smile returned to the others while he headed to Korra's room. He knew where the Avatar slept from his frequent visits to her bedside throughout her recovery. The grounds of the island were silent and empty, even for a temple, as most Air Acrolytes had fled before the battle and had yet to return.

The firebender quietly approached the teenage girl's room lest she should actually be sleeping, but soon found such caution unnecessary. The thin sliding door of Korra's room couldn't contain her shouts and sobs of frustration. Mako's heart twisted in his chest at the sound, so without knocking, without thinking, he opened the door and rushed inside.

She laid on the bed, curled into herself and facing the wall. Her shoulders shook visibly as she wept alone, even her furry companion Naga absent from the room.

"Korra," Mako croaked, throat constricted as tears stung the corners of his own eyes at seeing his love in such a state. She didn't seem to hear him. He approached her bedside, cautiously placing his hand on her arm. She jerked out of his grasp, curling further into herself.

"Go away!" she sobbed, her words barely comprehensible between her staggered breaths.

"Korra, don't push me away, please_._" He begged her not to hide from him, gently pulling her hands away from her face and grasping them firmly in his own. He slowly coaxed her into his arms and held her tightly as she cried into his chest.

"Korra, look at me," he pleaded, cupping her face with his hands. "Don't give up. You are the strongest, most amazing person I've ever known. It's going to be okay."

A few months ago, even a few weeks ago Mako wouldn't have dared to use that overused expression of comfort for fear they would be empty words. But he knew now that it wasn't a lie. He'd make it true.

Whatever it took, however long it took, Mako vowed to see Korra smile again and be whole again. _I love you more than anything in this world. _He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue. He wanted her to know she was the same brilliant, beautiful, maddening girl he loved with or without her bending, but in that moment her light was eclipsed by grief._ It would be selfish to tell her now_, he decided, so he held back his words. He'd help her find her spark again. He'd dedicate every day of his life to her happiness.

"You don't know that," she cried, dissolving into a fresh wave of heart-wrenching sobs. The young Avatar had no strength left to give, and so Mako gave her his.

"It will be okay," he repeated firmly as she cried into his shirt. He held her fiercely, protectively, wishing his embrace could shield her from all the pain. "I promise you. You'll get through this. We'll find a way." He pressed a long kiss to her forehead. "It's over now. It'll be okay."

The girl could only nod wearily, too exhausted to refute his words. Too overcome by the events of the day to ponder or protest his actions as his lips moved gently across her face, kissing away her tears. Too numb to register the small leap of her weary heart, the tiny spark of warmth in her stomach each time his lips touched her skin.

Korra clung to him and she clung to his promise. She needed hope. Hope that somehow her bending could be restored, that things would finally be alright, that maybe Mako's care and concern went beyond feelings of friendship.

They had to believe something would be given where so much had been taken.


	2. Failure

**A/N First of all, I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story or added it to your story alert. I couldn't believe how many emails I had within hours of publishing it. Your support really does mean the world to me. To address a few reviews specifically:  
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**Jayliyah: Thanks! Since I've basically already mapped out all the chapters for _Given _this story will pretty much stay centered on episode 12, however I have started writing down some ideas I have for a post-season 1 story (a sort-of sequel to _Given_) that I hope to get working on soon.  
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**callmecrazysweetness: Thank you! I've actually written a few fanfictions before this, but never for Legend of Korra.  
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**Mr. Shy Rockstar: Thank you! I was a bit worried I might have made Mako OOC in parts. And actually, "Taken" (chapter one) was originally going to just be a oneshot with "Given" (which will be the final chapter) serving as the sequel, so I'm glad you felt the first chapter could stand alone.  
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**And to EpcPanda, ada69, rmb. isacheerleader, danceacademychick7, JJ, and Fuschiaphoenix, THANK YOU for your kind words and encouragement, and thanks again to everyone following the story.  
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**As always, please review as I really do value your feedback.**

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Chapter Two: Failure

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_She felt like a failure. She hated failure. She hated herself. _

At some hour either late at night or very early in the morning, Korra's sobs and shakes had given way to sleep. Mako held her in his arms, never letting go, rocking her and quietly shushing her when a nightmare or sudden noise threatened her rest.

When she settled down long enough, Mako, too, succumbed to exhaustion. He didn't care that his neck would hurt from leaning against the headboard. He didn't care if he was breaking the temple's rules by staying in her room. He only cared about her.

As the sun peaked through the open window, its rays softly bathing the room in yellow light, Korra's eyes fluttered open. She narrowed her blue orbs against the intrusion, automatically raising her arm to block the light, only to find that something circling her body restricted the motion. She glanced up, the movement again restricted, to find her firebending friend asleep and cradling her against his body. His embrace was strong even in sleep, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other holding her head to his chest, fingers knotted in her unbound hair.

It brought to mind the time they'd fallen asleep against each other in the park, a memory she might have smiled at had the circumstances of the present situation been happier.

A mix of guilt and gratitude washed over the Watertribe girl as she realized he had stayed with her all night, doubtless getting little rest. She pressed her head into his chest and closed her eyes, determined that Mako should sleep longer even if she could not. But sleep quickly reclaimed her as she inhaled his familiar, soothing scent: a mix of firewood, the soap the Air Acrolytes made on the island, the ramen noodles he often cooked for Bo and something distinctly his that she couldn't place.

Korra unconsciously clutched at his scarf, her fingers still wrapped around the red material when he woke hours later. He smiled at the peace and innocence her face expressed in slumber. Mako would gladly awaken to such a scene every morning, if only they altered the cause of the arrangement. He would still hold her out of love, but Korra's smile would replace her tears and he would tell her and show how much he cared for her without hesitance or fear.

As though sensing his eyes on her, Korra's blue eyes reopened, locking on Mako's amber. She blushed at the intensity of his gaze and pressed her head into his chest again, feigning sleep too late. The rumbles of his soft chuckle pressed against her ear. Spirits, she loved his laugh.

"What are you hiding from me for?" he asked jokingly, prompting her to look at him as he lightly caressed her cheek. He struggled momentarily, openness not at all his forte, before the words slipped out in a rush. "You know...you don't ever have to hide from me." She held her breath and remained completely still as Mako's lips skimmed over her forehead, trailed down the side of her face and slowly, hesitantly neared her mouth. She jerked away suddenly, the memory of _exactly _what she'd been hiding from shattering the serenity of the moment.

Korra closed her eyes against the onslaught of painful remembrances. She'd tried and failed to conceal her brokenness from him, from everyone. Just like she'd failed to capture Amon and failed to protect the benders of the city-herself included- until they'd lost a vital part of themselves as she failed in her Avatar duties. She was just a failure. She hated failure.

And Mako hated failure, too.

So why was he here, giving her his time and care and attention? Because she was a friend? Because she was the Avatar? She was no longer the person he'd come to know. She wasn't the Avatar anymore. She was just a failure.

He hated failure. So he must hate her, too.

"Korra?" he asked, the sting of her rejection evident in his injured tone. She shook her head and closed her eyes, moving as far away from the older teen as the small bed would allow. She backed herself into the corner and brought her head to her knees, arms clasped around her legs as if trying to physically hold herself together. She dissolved into tears.

Mako watched, too stunned by her sudden change in demeanor to move as he tried to reason through her reaction. He couldn't understand it. Just a minute ago she seemed okay. It seemed she'd finally calmed down. And his actions unwound it all.

"Korra." He addressed her quietly, approaching her as he would a wounded animal. "Korra, I'm sorry." He touched her shoulder, and she didn't pull away though her body quaked. He took that as a good sign and came as near to her as space would allow.

Unlike the night before, she didn't let him remove her hands from her face or untangle her legs and pull her to him. She refused to let him see her red, puffy eyes and nose, the disgusting coward she'd become. Mako settled for wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pressing his head against hers.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I didn't mean to upset you." She shook her head furiously and retreated further into herself. "Do you want me to leave?" A loud sob was his only answer. "I'll go if you want me to, but please let me send someone else to stay with you. Pema or Tenzin, Naga, whoever you want. Just don't think you have to face this alone, Korra. You don't. You won't. We're here for you. I'm here for you."

Korra continued to cry for what felt like hours, any words she uttered rendered incomprehensible by her hiccups and sharp intakes of breath. Mako silently rubbed her back until worry eliminated his patience.

"Please, Korra, talk to me. I hate seeing you like this." That provoked a response alright.

"Then don't!" she screamed, voice cracking and near hysteria. "You don't have to see me like this if you don't want to! Just go away!"

The word _hate _confirmed every fear in the teenage girl's mind regarding the firebender's feelings for her. She was too tired, too emotionally drained to see the lack of logic in her train of thoughts. To her, the connection was clear as day: Mako hated seeing her like this, so Mako hated her.

"You know that isn't what I meant." His voice conveyed anguish and confusion unlike anything she'd ever heard from him. And it was her fault.

Korra wanted to keep her pain to herself, and in doing so had hurt the person she loved most in the world. She hated herself. He should hate her, too, for how she made him suffer. But he didn't, and she didn't know which was worse: that Mako didn't detest this chaotic, broken mess she'd become, or that he was trying to mend her, caring for a shell of the girl he'd known, hoping she'd be whole again.

What if she was beyond repair?

What if she wasn't?

The thoughts, the guilt, the pain raced around and around her head, battering her senses like a relentless hurricane. She drew a breath to succumb to tears again, but she'd used up all the water in her weary body. She instead broke into a fit of coughs that burned her already-sore throat and overused lungs.

Mako called her name, frantically forcing her into his embrace, rocking her back and forth.

"Shhh, just breathe, sweetheart!" he ordered over her dry sobs. "Just breathe. I swear it'll be alright, just breathe." His desperation lessened to whispered words as she complied with his instructions. She felt the evidence of his own tears on her skin as he pressed against her cheek.

"You should hate me," she whispered, voice dry. "I failed."

"Hate you?" He repeated the words bitterly, like it was all a bad joke. "I never could, never would, and never will hate you." His last words fell from his lips so softly that she barely heard them as darkness overtook her vision. "_You mean more to me than anything in the world. And that will never change. Ever."_

* * *

When Korra next awoke, it was night and she was alone in her bed. Her head lay once again on its pillow and Naga was curled up on the floor beside her.

_Was it all just a dream? _she wondered. But when her hand produced not fire, but air, she knew the nightmare was real: fighting with Amon, loosing her bending, the villain vanishing and her hope with him. But the rest she was unsure of. Had Mako really been there? She pressed the blanket to her nose. His scent confirmed he had been.

The emotions of her tired mind had held her in suspension between sleep and consciousness, clouding her judgement of what was real and imagined. Those words she thought she'd heard, they couldn't possibly be real. She didn't dare to hope. It hurt too much.

It wasn't until Pema came with a tray of food, which she insisted Korra sit up and eat, that the teenager noticed the red scarf wrapped securely around her neck. She carefully removed Mako's treasured possession, hands shaking at what it confirmed, or at least implied.

She clutched the worn fabric to her chest that night, wishing its owner would come and reclaim it, but he never came. The former waterbender didn't know what to believe anymore.

Everything she'd known, that she'd held as solid truth- that she was the Avatar, the most powerful being on the planet, untouchable; that her elements were an inseparable part of her, a natural gift she'd always possessed, that she would always have- collapsed, leaving her trapped in the ruins of her reality.

And Mako?

She'd hurt him. She'd pushed him away. And this time he wasn't coming back.

How many times would she fail to understand him?


	3. Distance

**A/N I'll keep the author's note short since the chapter is a bit lengthy. Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapters one and two and to all those following the story! I'm sorry I took a week to update, but I hope this chapter's length makes up for the wait. 2 chapters to go after this. Just a little more angst before we get to the fluffy marshmellow clouds of rainbows and sunshine that Ikki likes to talk about. Please drop a review if you haven't or another if you have. Constructive criticism is totally welcome. I really appreciate the feedback. That said, please enjoy chapter three. =)**

* * *

Chapter Three: Distance

* * *

_It was for the best. _

It was best if Korra kept her distance from Mako. That's what she told herself anyway. So what if it broke her heart? She was already broken.

A few days back, the United Forces reported the remains of two men floating ashore an island 15 miles south of Republic City, Equalist weapons and boat parts the only recognizable items in the wreckage. Noatak was dead, Korra's hope of regaining her bending mostly dead with him.

At Tenzin's suggestion, the group wasted no time in departing for the South Pole to seek his mother's assistance in restoring Korra's bending. Korra's parents, Master Katara, and the White Lotus had been informed in advance of their coming. Now, the United Forces ship, commanded by Tenzin's brother Bumi, was nearing the end of its half-week journey to the Southern Watertribe.

Mako, Bolin, and Asami had insisted on accompanying the group, an action Korra neither encouraged nor opposed. She'd barely said a word to anyone since the night of her breakdown. The young Avatar spent most of her days on an isolated part of the deck, trying to meditate in hopes of finding some spiritual solution to her problem.

It never worked. Korra just couldn't clear her mind; the torturous thoughts of failure and loss of identity constantly swarmed around her skull.

Despite the pain she knew might follow if disappointed, Korra clung to the last shred of hope she had: that Master Katara could reverse the bloodbender's act. One way or the other, Korra would have her answer soon.

Whatever the outcome, it was better than not knowing, then clinging to an empty hope.

* * *

Mako had to keep his distance from Korra. He couldn't bear to hurt her anymore. Even though his heart clenched painfully every time he caught sight of her beautiful, but sad face, and even though he wanted more than anything to be her comfort and strength, he knew she didn't want him.

After he left Korra slumbering with her polarbear-dog at her side, and with Pema and Tenzin's word that they would look after the young Avatar, Mako didn't see the girl he loved for days. She stayed holed-up in her room, refusing to see any of her friends.

Then, three days ago, as they prepared to board the United Forces' ship, Korra'd pressed Mako's scarf into his hand as she passed him in the hall, silently and without meeting his eye. He'd held fast to her hand and squeezed it gently, wordlessly asking if she'd understood his gesture, if she understood his feelings. She answered by freeing her fingers of his grasp and clutching her hand to her chest like he'd burned her. Walking briskly down the hall, she offered no explanation.

She'd rejected him.

Mako wondered if this was what Korra felt when he told her he cared for Asami and not her. Did her heart wrench like this, twisting until all the blood and life had been wrung out? Did her stomach flutter and then plummet when she met his eye and he looked away?

If so, then he deserved this torture. She'd risked pride and pain to tell Mako that she cared for him. He'd met her honesty with lies and her affection with rejection. Could he blame Korra for resenting him, for being unwilling to put her heart on the line twice?

She'd turned away when he tried to kiss her before the battle and again the day after it. She thought he hated her. Of course the idea was ludicrous; he was so in love with her. But did it appear so absurd to Korra? His past behavior had done little to refute the claim. She didn't know how he felt.

_Of course,_ Mako thought as the reason for Korra's avoidance clicked in his mind. He sank to the floor and leaned against the wall. How could he have been so oblivious? _She doesn't know how I feel. _

Yes, Mako told Korra that he couldn't imagine his life without her in it and that she meant the world to him. But his first confession expressed admiration and attachment, words that could express the feelings of a friend. Furthermore, it was the night before they faced Amon. The young Avatar's anxiety had far outweighed any passing thought of romance.

His second admission hardly came at a more opportune time. Korra felt lost and confused and broken, exhaustion clouding her reason. She'd drifted to sleep in his arms just as the words fell from his mouth. They may well have fallen on deaf ears. And what in his past conduct proved the truth of his words had she heard them?

He told her before that he liked her, then continued dating another girl, even threatening to discard their friendship like garbage a short time later. _I'm an idiot_. Mako cursed his stupidity again and again, affirming the thickness of his skull with a _bang! bang! bang!_ as his head hit the wall behind him.

Mako soon found that this activity didn't lessen the pain in his heart, just added pain to his throbbing head. Beating himself up over things he could not change wouldn't help Korra. He needed to think and killing braincells wouldn't aid him in that task.

Korra didn't know he loved her. She knew he _cared_, but that was not synonymous with _love. _He'd tried to show her through his actions, hoping they'd speak louder than words. It hadn't worked. Acts alone would not suffice in this instance. Mako had to tell her.

But not now, when worry and insecurity rattled her nerves. After they saw Katara, after they had answers, after they knew what direction Korra's life would take, then he'd let her know. He'd love her and stay by her side whatever challenges faced them, if only she would let him.

* * *

Korra's tan hands gripped the railing of the ship, body leaning over the side and eyes alert for a glimpse of her loved ones as the vessel neared the South Pole. She was the first to spot the shore of her home country and the first off the boat when they docked.

The impatient girl leaped over the side without waiting for the ramp to lower, rushing into her parents' arms before Mako could even shout to her to be more careful. Senna and Tonraq met their daughter in a fierce and loving embrace, happy to at last have their only child safe in their arms after months of troubling news.

Korra lowered her defenses in her parents' presence, seeking and accepting their comfort. They loved her before she could bend three elements and they would love her now, in all her brokenness.

Mako stood at a distance watching the scene unfold with a twinge of jealousy, part of him wishing Korra would open up to him like that and come rushing into his arms like that. He berated himself for the despicably selfish thought the instant it crossed his mind, but couldn't stop the painful squeeze of his heart as he remembered Korra's rejection.

_This isn't about me, _the firebender reminded himself. _I'm being stupid and selfish. Korra's broken and hurting. I'm the last thing on her mind. _

But Mako was wrong. He was very much on the young Avatar's mind as she caught sight of him standing alone, amber eyes fixed forlornly on the snowy ground.

_Keeping my distance is for the best, _Korra thought, steeling herself against the urge to approach the older teen. So why did she feel guilty then? And why was Mako looking so miserable? Why was he still there for her, be it at a distance, after she'd pushed him away?

Inwardly, Korra suspected she knew the answer, but she banished the thought half-formed, the prospect too terrifying to pursue. She couldn't deal with the implications of Mako's loving her. Not at this time, in this state.

Thankfully she needn't dwell long on the idea as Katara approached her former pupil with a sad, kind smile. Korra caught a gleam of the master bender's famous hope in her old eyes and met the woman in a warm embrace.

"Come with me, child. Let's see what we can do."

* * *

Mako's hair stuck out in all directions, his shadowed eyes and tensed shoulders strongly contrasting his typically collected composure as he paced the room. Anxiously, he ran his hands through his hair, then alternately tugged at the ends of the black strands in frustration.

_What's taking so long? _

Mako was normally a patient man, but waiting, _just_ waiting to hear if Korra's bending could be restored was driving him mad. For days he'd been unable to do anything to help her. And yet again he had to just _wait _for that stupid door that separated him from Korra to open and reveal the course the young Avatar's life would take.

"Mako, why don't you sit down?" Asami gently advised, noting how the firebender's actions set the whole room on edge. He sighed and nodded, taking a place between his brother and friend. His hands clenched his knees and he clenched his teeth impatiently.

At the first sign of motion from the door, Mako sprang to his feet, quickly followed by the other occupants of the room. But it wasn't Korra who emerged, wearing her trademark confident smile, eyes sparkling with happiness. His gold eyes landed on another pair of blue eyes, sad and hopeless.

Katara shook her white head regretfully, confirming his fears: she could not restore Korra's bending.

"But you're the best healer in the world," Lin protested, almost pleadingly. The former police chief's stubborn determination softened with empathy for Korra's situation, her own bending having been taken by Amon. "You have to keep trying."

"I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can do," Katara repeated, resigned. "Korra can still airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed."

* * *

Behind the door, Korra forced herself to rise to her feet and face her friends and family, to face her future as nothing but an airbender. She opened the door and met their sorrowful expressions with an empty look, save the slightest sadness in her eyes.

"It's going to be alright, Korra," Tenzin assured in his calm and soothing manner.

Korra didn't believe those words. Not anymore.

"No. It isn't." The reality of the situation weighed too heavy on her heart to endure the group's pitying stares, and taking her parka in hand, she exited the building.

She didn't want pity. She didn't want empty words. She wanted her bending, her self-worth and identity restored.

And she was never going to get it.

Mako reached towards Korra as she passed, mouth open to say something. The words died in his throat. What could he say that would possibly make a difference? He'd promised her everything would be okay and he'd been unable to keep his word.

_But I made another promise, _he realized with a start. _And I can keep it. _

After Tarrlok took Korra, Mako swore to never leave her side. _I'm going to keep my promise. _

He'd resolved to make his feelings clear, to lay his heart on the line. Korra needed to know beyond a doubt that he loved her, that she didn't have to face this alone.

"Korra, wait!" With newfound determination, the firebender followed the brunette into the snow. She stopped and looked at him, eyes narrowed and defenses raised.

"Go away." Korra's bitter tone masked her devastation, but it didn't decieve Mako.

"I will," he gently consented. "But I want you to know, I'm here for you." Unlike Korra, Mako did not brashly beat down barriers. He patiently, silently, and carefully wove his way into her heart, and Korra cursed him for it.

"No," she corrected, tone as cold as the icy air. "I mean go _away. _Back to Republic City. Get on with your life."

Korra just wanted to be alone. Her bottled emotions were fit to burst and she didn't want Mako, of all people, to see her break down again. Her weakness must disgust him. Yet here he stood, again offering aid for a wound that would never heal.

"What are you talking about?" Mako asked with hurt and confusion.

_What's there to be confused about? _Korra thought angrily. Her bending was never coming back. She was never going to be the person that she was. Her time as the Avatar, her friendships, they were over. It was all over. _So why are you still here? _

"I'm not the Avatar anymore," she clarified. "You don't need to do many any favors." Korra proceeded to walk away, but Mako wouldn't let her go that easily.

"I don't care if you're the Avatar or not!" he declared, halting her with a hand on her shoulder.

Did Korra really think he'd abandon her after all they'd been through? Did she really believe he only cared about her because of her Avatar status? _You're wrong and I will prove it to you, Korra. _

"Listen," Mako said and Korra did, turning around to reluctantly meet his gaze.

Words did not come easily to Mako. It went against his every instinct and would take every ounce of his resolve to open up completely and risk rejection again. But Korra was worth that risk. She was always worth it.

So the firebender took a deep breath and forced out the words that had weighed on his heart for weeks.

"When Tarrlok took you, I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again. I realized..."

He hesitated a split moment, looking to the ground as if it would offer help. Then, placing a hand on Korra's cheek, Mako looked into her eyes with a determined gaze. She had to understand beyond a shadow of a doubt the truth of his words. "I love you, Korra."

Korra was too stunned to reply. For months, she had longed to hear those words from him. But now, how could something that once felt so natural and right remain in a world where everything was so screwed up?

Korra physically felt her heart breaking as her dammed-up feelings starting to seep out. _Crack. Crack. Crack. _It was just too much. It was too overwhelming. The young girl had no capacity to wrap her worn-out mind around this confession.

"I- I can't," she said, removing his hand and running towards Naga. She had to get away. Not because she didn't want his love. Not because she didn't love him back, but because she had no strength left to hold back her emotions. _Crack. Crack. Crack. _Korra had to escape the compound before the tears escaped her eyes.

Mako called after her, but Korra ignored it, taking off astride her polarbear-dog. She rode beyond the compound doors and across the white plains without glancing back, wanting desperately to put distance between herself and everyone.

Mako could only watch as she left, feeling his heart break piece by peice the more her figure faded.

* * *

Naga ran until they reached the cliffside, where Korra at last dismounted. She looked out at the ocean, at the element she used to be able to bend to her will instinctively and effortlessly. Water had been a part of her since birth: a part of her culture and upbringing as the daughter of two waterbenders.

_What am I now? _Korra asked herself, succumbing to tears now that none could witness her weakness. She sat on the earth, unable to sense the element beneath the ice and snow, and pulled her knees to her chest, crying into her arms.

She sat solitary and cold, the determined fire that once burned in her heart and hands snuffed out forever. She'd never felt so empty and alone in all her life.

* * *

Mako could not heed Tenzin's advice to stay patient. He couldn't stand to let Korra bear her sorrow alone.

So he followed Naga's trail across the wintry plain.

Because even if Korra tore his heart out and stomped on it a thousand times, he would still love her. He would fight for her and stand by her and cherish her whether she returned the sentiment or not. He would always follow her, no matter what the distance.


	4. World

**A/N Brace yourselves, readers, for there are large amounts of romantic marshmallow-filled clouds of fluffiness below. Enough to do Ikki proud, I think. I really hope it didn't turn out overly sappy. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'd love to know your thoughts on this chapter as well. Somehow these chapters always end up longer than I intended (this is the longest one yet!), but the breaks are there for your reading convenience. There will be one last chapter after this.**

* * *

Chapter Four: World

* * *

Korra didn't know how long she sat crying in the snow. Likely only a few minutes had passed since her leaving the compound, but each second felt like an hour as devastation pressed upon her like a physical burden.

A rustling of robes diverted the young Avatar's attention momentarily. She only knew one person who made such sound as they walked, and she was in no mood for another lecture on patience from her airbending teacher. "Not now, Tenzin," she said without looking up. "I just want to be left alone."

"But you called me here." Korra sat up in alarm at the unfamiliar voice. Turning, she indeed faced an airbender, but not the once she'd expected.

"Aang." Korra looked with wonder and disbelief at the previous Avatar.

"You have finally connected with your spiritual self," Aang stated, but Korra remained confused.

"How?" After days of failed meditation following the loss of her bending, Korra'd given up hope of ever contacting her past lives. _So what changed that triggered this? _

"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." Behind Aang, Avatars Ryoku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, and every other incarnation appeared confirming the ancient wisdom of the airbender's words.

Aang placed a hand on Korra's shoulder and touched the other to her forehead. A powerful glow filled the Avatars' eyes and the energy and knowledge of a thousand lifetimes poured into the young girl.

The white light danced across the snow's reflective surface, catching the eye of a nearby firebender. _Korra, _Mako thought, racing towards the source of the glow. He halted, mouth agape as the earth began to tremble beneath him and a gust of wind propelled Korra's figure into the air.

Every fiber of Korra's being reverberated with power. Wind, earth, and fire spiraled around her and the ocean swelled to her command. Eyes aglow with the power of the planet, she could sense beyond herself and feel the energy of the elements coursing through her. She was the Avatar, master of all four elements, and master of her destiny.

Korra slowly descended to the ground, the tornado beneath her diminishing to a zephyr. She turned, sensing a familiar presence behind her. Mako gazed at her in astonishment, then smiled as his warm eyes filled with pride.

Korra didn't know how he found her or how long he'd been there, but she knew there was no one else she would rather share this moment with. So she ran towards him as Mako walked towards her, jumping into his outstretched arms. They met in a tight embrace, spinning from the eagerness of the impact.

The firebender kept his arms around her waist, grinning and gazing at the happy look on Korra's face that he'd missed so much. She placed a hand on his cheek and perfected the moment with just four words: "I love you, too."

Mako felt nothing could top the joy he was feeling, but of course Korra had to prove him wrong. With one hand on his shoulder and the other behind his head, Korra pulled him down and rose up on her toes to claim his lips a second time. Unlike before, Mako was prepared and met her lips with his. His left hand shifted to her upper back and he pulled her closer, determined to memorize everything about the moment, to hold her close and never let go.

* * *

The two teens remained impossibly close, kissing until they had to break for air.

"So you got it back?" Mako asked, resting his head atop Korra's as they caught their breath. "Your bending I mean."

She nodded into his neck, flashing a toothy smile. "All of it."

"I'm so proud of you."

"Well I had some help," she admitted sheepishly. "From Aang."

"What, you mean you haven't _always _flown around on a whirlwind, bending four elements with your eyes glowing?"

Korra gave him a playful shove. "Hey! Leave the sarcasm to me, City Boy. You just keep to the serious stuff."

Mako wanted to retort, but Korra put his mouth to other use. Not that Mako protested.

"Oh!" Korra exclaimed, pulling back abruptly as a thought crossed her mind. "I almost forgot!" She laughed at Mako's scowling pout and offered a chaste kiss as an apology before continuing with her excited realization. "I can restore other people's bending, too."

Mako's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How?"

"Energy-bending. Aang taught it to me." This explanation only served to perplex him further, so the young Avatar shook her head and promised to clarify later. "We have to go tell the others!" she went on in a very Ikki-like fashion, leading him by the hand to Naga. "Lin sure will be happy to get her bending back. Well, as happy as Lin gets, anyway. And then we can head straight back to Republic City and I can restore everyone's bending there! Isn't it great?"

"Slow down there, tigerdillow." The firebender chuckled and pulled her back to his chest. He rubbed her side soothingly and kissed her cheek. "One thing at at time. You're still recovering from the battle."

She wanted to argue that she felt just fine, but didn't wish to spoil the mood. "We can talk about it later," she consented with a small smile. "Right now, we should go back and tell everyone the good news."

"That you got your bending back or that we're finally together?" Mako joked as he climbed into Naga's saddle behind Korra.

"What's gotten into you?" She laughed. "Smiling and cracking jokes. Who are you what have you done with my Mako?" His heart leapt at her possessive phrasing.

"I'm just happy. You make me happy," he answered honestly, quietly. Korra blushed profusely and urged Naga forward to avoid sputtering in response. This guy knew how to turn her brain into absolute mush.

They rode in silence for several minutes, Mako's arms wrapped securely around the Watertribe girl's waist. "About telling the others," Korra spoke up after a time. "About us I mean. I think we should lay low in front of them for now."

The firebender frowned slightly. "Because of Asami? You know, she actually gave us her blessing."

Korra's eyes widened in mild surprise. "She's a good friend," she mumbled quietly, then spoke louder. "But not just for Asami. I'm pretty sure my dad and Tenzin wouldn't be too thrilled if they caught us kissing. Tenzin's not one for public displays of affection and my dad..."

Mako tensed up at the thought of how big, burly Tonraq would express his disapproval of the punk dating his daughter. "Yeah, okay," he agreed hastily. Korra twisted in his rigid embrace, laughing as he blanched.

"He's not going to kill you," she soothed, sensing his fear of her father. Mako gulped. Kill? Maybe not. That might be too obvious. Injure? Maim? Freeze him in a block of ice for a hundred years? Possibly.

Well, no one ever said dating the Avatar would be easy. But Korra was unquestionably worth the trouble.

* * *

As they grew closer to the compound, Jinora flew out on her glider to meet them, informing the pair that the others were waiting for them at the Southern Tribe Temple. They had noticed a beam of light go off when Korra entered the Avatar State and assembled there. (1)

Korra shared the story of her encounter with Aang and her new abilities while the group listened in stunned silence. Even Katara and Tenzin, the wife and son of the former Avatar, were surprised by Korra's sudden mastery of her powers.

"I can restore bending, too," Korra said with a smile, looking at the former chief of police. Lin's eyes lit up with hope.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's do it, kid!" Lin followed Korra up the temple stairs, kneeling before the young Avatar to receive her bending back. Korra placed a hand on the older woman's shoulder and another to her forehead, just as Aang had Korra. Closing her eyes, Korra focused on sensing the severed flow of energy in the former earthbender. The teen's eyes reopened, glowing as she bent Lin's energy into balance, restoring the woman's ability to bend. (2)

Beifong opened her jade eyes at feeling suddenly renewed, as though a long-standing pain that had retreated to the back of her mind had vanished, reminding her of how it felt to be free of it. The metalbender looked to the Avatar, who nodded in affirmation, then stood to confirm the feeling.

The rocks around the temple rose and fell at Lin's command. "Thank you." The woman addressed Korra with sincere gratitude, and Korra replied with a respectful bow. The trouble-making teen that had wound up at the police headquarters months ago had matured into a responsible young woman and Avatar, capable of bringing balance to the world.

Tenzin voiced these thoughts to his pupil. "I am so proud of you, _Avatar_ Korra."

Korra smiled. At long last, everything felt right.

* * *

Upon returning to the compound, Korra's father and mother enveloped their daughter in a joyful hug. Korra caught sight of her friends' proud smiles from over her parents' shoulders, gaze locking on the one that set her heart racing. An adorable blush spread across her face as she smiled back at Mako.

Mako conversed with the others for several hours while Korra had a proper reunion with her family. The firebender winked at her when their eyes met and laughed to himself when her dark skin reddened. The members of the group dwindled as the children and later the adults went off to bed. When at last Bolin and Asami bid goodnight, only Mako, Korra, Senna, and Tonraq remained.

The young man quickly busied himself with reading a book Jinora had left lying around, avoiding the awkwardness of being left alone with his girlfriend and her parents. He stared with intense concentration at the characters marking the page. He could practically feel Tonraq's suspicious gaze on him from across the room.

Korra stifled a laugh at her father's look and Mako's slight fidgeting in the corner. She recalled her father's attention with a light smack on his arm. "Dad, quit it," she half-laughed and half-pleaded, feeling truly sympathetic toward her boyfriend.

"What?" Tonraq feigned innocence with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "I just find it curious that your friend there is still up at this hour when everyone _else _has turned in."

"Oh, leave them alone, Tonraq!" Senna quietly scolded her husband. "_My _father never ran _you _off when we were dating."

"The man sat at the entrance of your igloo with his favorite hunting hounds every time I came to pick you up or walked you home!"

As the husband and wife reminisced about their youth, Korra slipped away to the other side of the room.

"Hey. Whatcha reading?" Mako jumped at suddenly being addressed, having been too focused on reading (and avoiding Tonraq's death glare) to see Korra approach.

"What? Oh...nothing. Just something Jinora left lying around."

Korra giggled at the normally-stoic firebender's unease.

She leaned over him and smirked. "You've been on the same page for the last half-hour." He frowned and she laughed, snatching the book from his grasp.

"What-"

"Come here," she ordered, taking his hand in hers and leading him towards her parents. _Towards my death, _Mako thought, survival instincts kicking in as he resisted Korra's strong grip.

"Don't be such a baby!" she said under her breath as they neared her family.

"Mom, Dad." Senna and Tonraq looked up from their conversation and took notice of the pair: Senna with a smile, and Tonraq with a slight frown. "This is Mako," Korra said, unsure of how best to introduce her boyfriend-of-less-than-a-day.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mako," Senna greeted warmly. "We've heard so much about you."

"Thank you. It's very nice to meet you both," Mako said with a hint of nerves as he gave the two a respectful bow.

"You're the captain of the Fire Ferrets," Tonraq spoke up in attempt at conversation. "Is that right?"

"Y-yes, sir." The firebender offered the man a nervous smile.

"I hope you've been looking after my daughter in the ring. I've heard the matches can get rather brutal."

"Dad-" Korra started to protest but was cut off by Mako.

"Actually sir, Korra holds her own in pro-bending." The firebender spoke with new-found confidence in praising the girl at his side. "We wouldn't have made it to the finals without her."

Tonraq's frown cracked into a grin which grew into a hardy chuckle. Mako looked to Korra, unsure if this was a good or bad thing, but she looked equally confused by her father's change of mood.

"Of course she can! I'm glad you know that. But you play very well yourself, I hear. I've caught all your matches on the radio since Korra joined."

And just like that, all tension fled from the room. Korra smiled as the people she loved most in the world talked and laughed with natural ease, and silently she thanked the Spirits for what she felt sure was nothing short of divine intervention.

* * *

After half an hour of jovial exchange between the two teens and two adults, Senna announced that it was time she and her husband turn in for the night.

"Us old folks need our rest you know."

Korra rolled her eyes at her mother's humor. "Goodnight, Mom."

As his wife and daughter exchanged a parting hug, Tonraq took the chance to address Mako out of their hearing.

"I just wanted to thank you for looking after my daughter when we couldn't." Tonraq spoke with quiet sincerity. Mako looked guiltily to the side, feeling undeserving of such thanks.

"I'm afraid... I didn't do a very good job of that, sir." He said this quietly, anger at himself clear in his tone. Tonraq placed a heavy hand on Mako's shoulder.

"Listen, son. A man who stands by my little girl against a crazy bloodbender is a brave man in my book. And it's plain to see how happy you make her. So thank you."

Mako looked at the taller, older man with tremendous gratitude.

"And call me Tonraq," he said with a smile. "All that 'sir' stuff makes me feel old."

Mako grinned in return and gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Tonraq."

With that, the waterbender joined his wife and bid his daughter goodnight. As they left, tension reentered the room.

"Well, it has been a long day," Korra said with uncharacteristic shyness. "I guess I'll head to bed, too. Goodnight."

Korra moved to leave, but found herself yanked back by the hood of her parka.

"Hold it, missy. I have some unfinished business with you." In swift motion Mako pulled the unsuspecting Avatar into his arms and into a kiss. Korra caught on quick, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He broke from her lips too quickly for Korra's liking and immediately she moved to resume the kiss. The teens exchanged a few short, but heated kisses more before Mako halted his girlfriend with a finger to her lips. The Avatar put on a childish pout that made the firebender laugh.

"I love you." He smiled into her hair, hugging her close. Korra buried her head in his shirt, concealing her smile. The words that he'd denied for so long now fell from his lips with ease. "I love you so much. And, much as I want to keep kissing you, we need to talk."

Korra looked at him, confused as he took her hands in his and led her to the sofa, where they sat side by side. Her furrowed brow smoothed beneath his hand as Mako caressed her skin. He cupped her face between his palms and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I need you to know that I meant every word of what I said, Korra. Whether you are the Avatar or not, in good times and bad, I will never abandon you. I love you _no matter what. _Do you understand that? _Really _understand that?"

Korra covered her boyfriend's hands with hers, turning to press a kiss to his palm. "I understand," she said quietly, returning her gaze to him. "And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you by running off earlier. I just...I couldn't-"

Mako shushed her gently and kissed her softly. "It's okay," he assured. "I know." Korra shook her head, needing to explain.

"I _do _love you," Korra insisted, resisting his distracting method of silencing her. Her blue eyes fixed determinedly on his. "I never stopped loving you, but I was hurting and I thought you couldn't possibly feel the same with how weak I'd become. I felt like a burden. I know-" She placed a finger to his lips to quell his protests. "I know now that I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He stroked her cheek then ran his hands through her hair. "Just promise me you won't try to face everything alone. I'm here for you." Korra nodded.

"That goes both ways, Cool Guy," Korra reminded him. She moved her hand to his cheek and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. "I love you, Mako."

Their kiss was long and slow and sweet, filled with feeling and promise. Happiness wrapped in their hearts that would last them a lifetime.

_She held the power of the planet in her hands, and he held his whole world in his arms._

* * *

Footnotes: 

1) In ATLA, when Aang first enters the Avatar State, we see the temples across the world react with a glow. I believe this is where the last scene of LoK episode 12 takes place as there is not a building resembling the one where Lin's bending is restored in the compound. It also makes sense that the group would notice a light coming from the Southern Watertribe's temple when Korra enters the Avatar State. _  
_

2) I tried to think of a detailed explanation for how bloodbending takes away bending and energybending restores it. It made my head hurt. So, my theory is that Amon somehow severed the connection between a bender's brain and the nerves that control bending. Energy bending would mend this connection. It's not that central a detail to the story, so I didn't care to give more time and attention to it.


	5. Given

**A/N Well it's finally here! The last chapter. If you've made it this far, it means that you didn't die of fluff-overdose in chapter four. Yay! I felt like the little girl from _Despicable Me _writing it. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna DIE!" Anyway, I'm rambling. To sum up: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING THIS STORY. I LOVE YOU ALL. **

**And in light of said support, *ahem* I WILL BE WRITING A _DIRECT _SEQUEL TO _Given _ENTITLED _Chosen. _Since I don't want to spoil this last chapter of _Given, _I'll discuss _Chosen _more in the second author's note at the end of the chapter. **

**This is the first multi-chapter fanfiction I've ever completed. *throws confetti* And if you want to stay updated on the sequel-of-sorts that will be titled _The Time Between _or the direct sequel _Chosen, _you can add me to author alert, or just PM me and I'll send you a message when either is up. And now, on to the final chapter!**

* * *

Chapter Five: Given

* * *

Three weeks passed at the Southern Watertribe before Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin and his family prepared to return to Republic City. As the airbending family climbed aboard Oogi and Bolin and Asami boarded the boat, Korra and Mako lingered on the shore to bid Katara, Senna, and Tonraq farewell.

"Goodbye, Master Katara," Korra said, hugging her pseudo-grandmother.

"Take care, Korra. It seems you found your destiny in Republic City after all." The old woman's eyes laughed at the two waterbenders' private joke as she inclined her white head towards Mako, who was conversing with Korra's parents. "Keep him close," Katara added in a whisper.

"I will," Korra promised, smiling and hugging her teacher a final time before departing.

As she approached her parents and boyfriend, Korra caught the end of their exchange.

Senna enveloped the firebender in a motherly embrace. "You're welcome any time, Mako."

"Thank you, Senna," he said, returning the hug.

"Take good care of my little girl," Tonraq warned with mock-severity.

"Yes, sir," Mako answered with a smile, shocked when the older man swept him into a paternal hug. "I really will," the firebender promised, patting Tonraq's back a bit awkwardly.

"_Try _not to get in too much trouble?" Senna addressed her daughter, knowing full well such a request was futile.

"I'll _try_," Korra conceded, hugging both her parents at once. "I love you both. I'll remember to write more often this time."

"Take care, sweetheart." Tonraq reluctantly released his daughter, as did his wife a moment later. They watched as the pair of teens walked towards the boat, Mako's arm around Korra's shoulders.

"They'll be alright," Katara assured the worried parents. "They've got each other, after all." Tonraq and Senna nodded in agreement.

Mako and Korra joined Bolin and Asami on the deck as the ship took off. They waved until the shore became a distant site, thinking to themselves how lucky they were to have such love in their lives.

* * *

_And Mako and Korra's love grew with the years. _

The thick sounds of a summer night filled the room as Mako gently pulled his sleeping wife closer, pressing his chest to her back. His arm wound around her protectively, hand resting on her swollen stomach, sensing the heat of life within.

Sometimes, Mako wondered if he would wake to find Korra's warmth replaced with the cold press of concrete, their love the mere fantasy of a starving street kid. It just seemed too good to be real: that for every thing taken, something more had been gained.

It started with a stubborn girl offering a hardhearted boy her friendship, then she gave him her love and everything that came with it: marriage, their unborn child, and a life more beautiful and fulfilling than he ever fathomed possible.

Mako pressed a kiss to Korra's shoulder, savoring the serenity the night offered between their hectic days. Being married to the Avatar guaranteed difficulties. Even in times of peace, the threat of danger loomed like a dark cloud in a sunny sky. Korra's pregnancy heightened her vulnerability and heightened her husband's protective instincts.

As he nuzzled her neck and took in her calming scent, Mako recalled how many times he'd come so very close to loosing the woman he loved. But they always made it through. Together.

Together they discovered that for every thing lost, something more was found. The loss of Korra's bending led to her fully mastering her abilities as Avatar. Where Mako lost his first family, he gained another. No one would ever replace his parents, and no one would try. But Korra, with her infinite obstinacy, had broken down his walls piece by piece and made his heart her home.

For many years, Bolin was all that kept Mako from falling into the widening black hole left in his heart by his parents' deaths. Mako's friends helped to bridge the gap. His in-laws filled the space a little more. But only Korra could seal the wound; their baby made him forget the pain associated with the scar.

Korra's blue eyes fluttered open as her husband leaned over to kiss her cheek. She shifted to her back and turned her head to face the interrupter of her rest.

"Sorry," Mako murmured, lips ghosting over hers. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

Korra's stubbornness hadn't faded with age, demonstrated by a shake of her brown locks. Mako pulled his spouse to his side as she placed a soft hand on his cheek.

"Hey," she greeted quietly, voice still heavy with sleep. "What are you thinking about?"

Mako was silent for a moment, lightly tracing patterns along Korra's dark arm. Then he answered quietly, "Just about how blessed I am and how much I love you."

Korra smiled. Despite their boundless trust in one another, Mako did not speak such thoughts aloud often. He never would be a man to speak unnecessary words.

"I love you, too." After a brief kiss, she chuckled and added, "Though, when we first met, I never would have taken you for the romantic type, Sir-Scowls-A-Lot."

"You're the one that married me," he reminded her, lacing his fingers with hers and lifting their wedding bands to eye level.

Korra had favored a discreet sign of their union with traditional Earth Kingdom rings, as opposed to the Watertribe betrothal necklace. She claimed such jewelry would be a hindrance in a fight and secretly confessed to Mako that it reminded her of something Naga might wear. (1)

Korra gently squeezed his hand. "Pretty sure marriage was both our doing, dear."

Mako brought her hand to his lips and placed his free hand on her stomach again.

"So was this," he smirked and Korra laughed.

"We make a pretty good team, huh City Boy?"

"Nah. Better than 'pretty good.'" His amber eyes twinkled with mischief, a look saved especially for her.

"The best," Korra amended. She intended the words as humorous, but they fell from her lips quiet and earnest.

"Always."

Their kiss spoke of unwavering affection, built on a foundation of friendship, and a fire between them that never dimmed, but amplified, fueled by an unfading love.

_And they thanked the Spirits every day for all they had been given._

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Footnote:

(1) In my headcannon, Korra would not like the betrothal necklace tradition because it could be a nuisance in a fight (ever jog or play a sport with a necklace on? Mine always fly up and bop me on the nose!). While I know the betrothal necklace could be a very sweet gesture (I'm a sucker for Sukka stories where Sokka carves one for Suki), I feel in Korra's case that she might regard something like that as a type of dog-collar, an item declaring ownership of her. I probably view it that way because of how the necklace was used in Yue and Kana's cases as a sign of oppression since it indicated that they had to marry men they did not love, whether they wanted to or not. A simple wedding band, though, isn't as noticeable as a necklace and really wouldn't be much of an issue in a fight. Plus, I think rings signify unity and equality in a marriage, not dominance of one spouse over the other. Very long footnote, I know, but perhaps doing the explanation here will save time when the subject is renewed in _Chosen._

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**A/N I would love to know your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole. Thank you again to every one that followed the story, favorited, and reviewed. **

**About _Chosen: _Probably didn't see the time-skip coming, did you? Well, _Chosen _will pick up right where _Given _left off as a future-family fic. I'm just brainstorming right now, but I already have some chapter ideas going and I'm mapping out the plot, so hopefully the sequel will be up in about a week, maybe less.  
**

**About _The Time Between_: As the title implies, this story will detail the time between seasons one and two. Though it will be a stand-alone story, it also acts as a companion piece to _Given _in that it can be read as taking place between the first and second scenes of this chapter.  
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